Suspension options for comfortable daily commute.

Ok before everyone tells me to search. I can never get a clear direction. I just want to basically level my truck the right way. The roads where I live are not particularly smooth. I just don’t want to make a mistake. I don’t expect my truck to ride like a Cadillac but I want some solid opinions. I really like the price point of the Bilstein 6112/5100 combo but I am hearing it’s a pretty stiff ride. This is the truck with stock OR suspension. At this point I am willing to spend a little more to get the right set up. As far as off roading goes…..I will only do mild trail, camping, overlanding. It’s mostly just daily driven on the street.

 

Bilstein or Eibach - Stage 1 lift from either. Can't go wrong.

 

I love my Eibach, got stage 2 since I do more offroading. They make street speedbumps almost go away, the difference from stock suspension is staggering.

 

Do you have the clunk on your stage 2?

 

At the options you are thinking The higher the front lift the shittier the ride.

 

My buddy has a clean daily driver leveled with Fox 2.0 in front and back and it rides like a car and is buttery smooth. Accutune is always good to get some guidance and they can point you in the right direction.
That said, for daily driving I liked the stock OR shocks. Maybe look at the Westcott collar for those instead of switching the coil over out?

 

Nope. Never had a problem and I've run them hard. Latest is towing a 3500 lbs trailer with a full load in the bed across the SW states and back. Never heard or felt any clunks and they worked impressively while towing. Only have a 1" block under the leaf springs in the rear didn't even use an airbag. I lifted the front a bit over 2" and kept the stock UCAs. As I said, I'm totally impressed and love them. You should wait for black friday sales since a lot of companies have huge discounts...make a list of things to buy ahead of time.

 

I have the 6112/5160 combo and I've been on this set up for a couple of years now. I've driven 2 different stock Off Roads and the stock Off Road is a better on road ride. Actually the stock Off Road rides better off road than my truck does at slow speeds.

 

I should say, more comfortable ride with the stock Off Road setup. I believe those are Bilstein 4600 and the 16 inch vs the 17 inch wheels on my truck. I like the 6112's but if you are trying to improve the ride comfort of your stock Off Road I would not guide you towards the 6112/5100's. I also think we often look past tires when it comes to ride comfort. I once bought a truck with aggressive mud tires on it and it rode horrible. I thought the thing needed shocks for sure. After changing the tires to some A/T's, however, that old Dodge Ram rode really smooth. Just something to think about before chasing a rabbit down a hole.

 

I have the Icon stage 4. May be more than you’re wanting but big difference in smoothness.

 

Those tires probably aren't helping as far as comfort. LOL
Edit: Talking about OP's tires.

 

I’ve only had 6112 and 5160 so I can’t really compare, but for me I think they are not for someone that wants a smooth plushie ride and not feel the bumps. So I’d steer away from them. Nice handling though, really nice on smooth roads. Slow speeds Offroad hurts my butt.

 

They’re not that great offroad. Just getting as much mileage out of them as I can. Trying to convince the finance company I need skid plates. If I spend money on tires then skids gets moved further out. But if I get skid plates first then tires become a necessity and easier to get. Gotta work the system. lol.

 

Tires are fine, running them at 45 psi like any tire will suck.

 

I am waiting for Black Friday. The only issue is installing them in December. It’s usually below freezing in Spokane.

 

I found the 6112s a significant improvement in comfort.

This is highly dependent on what you consider a "good" ride. The stock stuff was overly floaty but harsh on sharp edges, the 6112 cured the floaty part and stopped it from wobbling around yet at the same time was less harsh on sharp edged bumps.

There is a big difference between soft/firm and smooth/harsh. The stock stuff is soft but harsh, the 6112s were firm but smooth. (this goes into low speed dampening vs high speed dampening)

I will say that blocks in the back sucked though, so if lifting get AALs. Hammer Hangers are also supposed to get rid of the rear end jitter (which shocks won't fix), which I found to be one of the worst attributes when it comes to the ride. I did not try these myself though.

 

The general consensus I glean from this entire forum is that stock suspension is always the best on-road ride. So I’d suggest going back to 16in wheels, stock size Michelin Defender tires, and leave the suspension alone. Save your money for something else! That’s what I do. I can confirm that my stock OR with Michelin Defender tires is very smooth and quiet compared to the stock AT tires, well worth the investment since tires are a must (obviously).

 

Agree with the comments about 6112/5160. Does not make the truck ride any softer. I would say it's firm and the really harsh bumps are somewhat lessened compared with stock TRD Sport suspension. I did 6112/5160 with Deaver U402 stage 1 leaf springs. The good way to state it is that even while raised 2", the truck handles at least as good on smooth roads and somewhat better on rough roads compared with the stock Sport suspension. On the other hand, the comments about Eibach "making speed bumps disappear" definitely do not apply.

 

I also suspect the wheels / tires are contributing to harshness.
What is the tire load rating?
What is your usual tire pressure?

The offroad suspension is the softest. I never drove a pro until I received mine. I was (and still am) positively impressed with the feel both on road and off - at speed and on bumps...
Maybe look for take-offs or Fox 2.0s (which I've not tried) if you feel the suspension is the culprit. - But I'd still look at the wheels tires they are definitely having an impact on road feel - especially if you have poor roads; those always feel worse than dirt.

 

I run Dobinsons twin tubes with Icon AAL and SumoSprings front and rear, 2” lift all around. Truck rides like a dream - compliant, no body roll and socks up the bumps on and off the road.